Grupo Especial de Operaciones Federales (Argentina)

Federal Operations Special Groups
Grupo Especial de Operaciones Federales
AbbreviationGEOF
Agency overview
Formed1994
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionArgentine
General nature
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Counter terrorism, special weapons operations. Protection of internationally protected persons, other very important persons, and/or of state property of significance.
Operational structure
Parent agencyArgentine Federal Police

The Grupo Especial de Operaciones Federales (Federal Operations Special Group, GEOF) is a police tactical unit of the Policía Federal Argentina trained to strategically perform counterterrorist and counternarcotics missions. It is also used for VIP protection and hostage rescue situations.

History

The GEOF is a specialized police unit of the General Directorate of International Terrorism and Complex Crimes.

Although the existence of special forces in Argentina begins in 1930, the unit was officially created after the 1994 AMIA bombing.

In 1994 its first section was established in Tucumán and in 1997 a second division was constituted in Rosario. In the next year the Buenos Aires group was formed.

Training

The unit's main training course stands for 20 weeks and is divided in two periods, with only 15% common approvals. Topics include sniping, HALO/HAHO parachuting, martial arts, offensive driving, and explosives, known as the "brechero" one.

The GEOF constantly trains with special units of other countries like the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, the US Army Green Berets, the Israeli Yamam and numerous SWAT groups.

Power

The GEOF, nicknamed 4T (todo tiempo-todo terreno, all weather-all terrain), has full powers in all jurisdictions of the country.

Equipment

The basic gear for every GEOF officer is a standard sidearm and an assault rifle. GEOF would gain other weaponry including shotguns, sniper rifles, and even machine guns (in some units) depend on the situation encountered.[1][2][3]

The following are the common weapons used by GEOF:

Firearms

Weapon Origin Type
Bersa Thunder 9 Argentina Semi-automatic pistol
Glock 17 Austria
Beretta 92 Italy
Heckler & Koch USP Germany
Heckler & Koch MP5 Submachine gun
Remington 870 United States Shotgun
SIG SG 552 Commando  Switzerland Assault rifle
IWI ACE Israel
FN FAL Argentina Battle rifle
FN Minimi Belgium Machine gun
FN MAG
IWI Negev Israel
M24 SWS United States Sniper rifle
H-S Precision HTR
M110 SASS

Vehicles

See also

References

  1. ^ "15 fotos que muestran las armas y equipos de la Policía Federal".
  2. ^ "45 fotos de las motos, los camiones y el equipamiento donado por China para la seguridad del G20". 16 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Un impresionante simulacro en la embajada de Israel sorprendió a todos en el microcentro porteño". 3 February 2019.